NBA Playoffs: Eastern and Western Conference Finals Recaps
By Tyler Watts
This article recaps the two conference finals series in the NBA Playoffs and gushes about the historic runs of the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The NBA Playoffs are down to just the final two teams, so I figured I would deviate one more time from the Sacramento Kings content and write a bit about the NBA Playoffs.
Today, I will be recapping the two recently concluded conference finals series. I will provide commentary on why these playoffs have been historic despite not being the most entertaining series. Let us jump right into the deep end.
(1) Golden State Warriors sweep (2) San Antonio Spurs 4-0
The Warriors finally played a close game during these playoffs. They needed a huge comeback to win game one by a score of 113-111. The Kawhi Leonard injury in the opening game ruined the Spurs chances and vilified Zaza Pachulia.
Golden State went on to win the next three games by 36, 12, and 14 points to advance to their third straight NBA Championship series. It will be a familiar foe on the opposite end of the court of, but first, let us talk about the greatness of this team one more time.
The Golden State Warriors are undefeated through the first three rounds of the playoffs at 12-0. They just manhandled the San Antonio Spurs who’s coach is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Golden State made it look easy too.
Their big advantage this season is the firepower never ends. I was thinking about something during the game four wipe out: if the NBA started over today and we had a draft how long before the core four of the Warriors were selected? Kevin Durant and Steph Curry would obviously be top five selections, and I think Draymond Green and Klay Thompson would be in the top twenty. This team is just not fair.
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers defeat (1) Boston Celtics 4-1
LeBron James once again takes the Eastern Conference crown as his Cavaliers head to their third straight NBA final.
Want to show up your friend? Ask them the last year LeBron James has not played in the NBA finals? The answer is 2010. LeBron has played in the last three with the Cavaliers and went to four straight with the Miami Heat before that. In 2009-2010, LeBron’s first stint with Cleveland ended with an Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the Boston Celtics.
The Cavaliers destroyed the Celtics by 13 and 44 points in games one and two in Boston. They looked well on their way to a third straight sweep of their own before a very lethargic game three. The Cavs fell 111-108 but rebounded with two straight blowout victories to advance.
Kyrie Irving looked fantastic during this series. At 25 years old, he is finally becoming a dominant force in the NBA. He got the debate ranging on if he is the best point guard in the Eastern Conference and anyway you look at it, Irving is an elite NBA player on a great Cavaliers team. I believe that is all that matters.
The Isaiah Thomas injury was a crushing blow to the Celtics, but they did not have much chance either way. Their consolation prize is, they won the NBA Draft Lottery and will have the number one pick on June 22 and a shot to select their LeBron James.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, a recap of the conference final series in the NBA Playoffs. We should have just played the NBA Finals in October as these two teams seemed on a collision course all season long and now we will finally witness the series. I will be back with a preview of that series before game one.
I am interested in your opinions on who will win this series. Tweet our social account @ARoyalPain with who you think wins the NBA Championship and how many games. Are you team LeBron or will this Warriors squad finish out their historic run? Let us know.
Next: A Royal Prospect: Jonathan Issac
A Royal Pain is just kicking off with all the offseason content you desire about the Sacramento Kings. We will be covering the draft, free agency, and all the juicy rumors, so please check back with us often. Thank you for reading.